Ōamaru Sings, a divine gathering of singers and leaders
Review by Sally Randall
Ōamaru Sings (ŌS) was formed 2 years ago. ŌS mission is to facilitate affordable, accessible community singing experiences.
Last year, through ŌS, I conceived and organised a successful weekend workshop called Rhythm in Harmony. The event recently took place over the weekend of March 15/16.
My concept for this project was for participants to be scaffolded into connecting to the groove of a song (with movement and percussion), whilst singing together in harmony.
Registrations included singers of all ages, experience levels, backgrounds and mobility.
Veloma Masina E written and Led by Lala Simpson
I was able to engage expert songleaders Lala Simpson from Wellington and Claire Stevens from Dunedin, along with Ōamaru local African drum and dance expert Ra McRostie, to facilitate the workshops.
Saturday consisted of 4 workshops from 9am to 5pm. Sunday morning we practiced what was learnt the day before, and finished the day with an informal performance (for koha) at 1.30 for participants’ friends and family. We performed 10 songs and then followed with a shared afternoon tea for performers and audience.
The project ran with a very tight budget, as no community funding was available for a mid-March event. Timing meant that funding would come through 2 weeks after the event, and no funding body gives retrospectively.
The Rhythm in Harmony weekend was an exercise in building community through singing together. For me, the measure of the weekend’s success was the joy that everyone clearly felt, and the amount of people who were ‘sparked’ by the dynamic creative process that they were a part of.
I believe that is the true power of community singing.
This is an excerpt from the end of the celebration. A collaboration of all of the workshop leaders from Rhythm and Harmony over the weekend.